If you’re taking Strattera, you may wonder whether you need to avoid or limit certain foods. Strattera doesn’t interact with any foods, but taking it with certain foods may affect how well your body absorbs it.
Strattera is not known to interact with any specific foods or beverages. (An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected.)
You can take your Strattera doses with or without food. But if you choose to take Strattera with food, you should avoid taking it with a high fat meal. This is because doing so could cause your body to absorb the drug more slowly than usual. (Slower absorption should not affect how Strattera works in your body, but the drug could take longer to reach its full effectiveness.)
Examples of high fat foods include:
- certain cuts of meat, such as bacon, ribs, and chicken wings
- processed or cured meats
- high fat or full-fat dairy products
- avocados
- butter
- fried foods
If you have questions about taking your Strattera dose with food, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Although there are no known interactions between Strattera and alcohol, your doctor may recommend that you avoid alcohol during your treatment or limit the amount you drink. This is because alcohol and Strattera can cause some of the same side effects. So combining the two may raise your risk of experiencing these side effects or make the side effects worse.
Examples of these side effects include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- dizziness
- sleepiness
- headache
If you have additional questions about Strattera and alcohol, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Strattera has not been shown to interact with any vitamins, so you don’t have to stop taking any of your current vitamins if you’re prescribed Strattera. However, it’s still a good idea to tell your doctor about all vitamins and supplements you take when you’re starting treatment with a new drug.
Caffeine isn’t known to specifically interact with Strattera, but it causes some of the same side effects as Strattera. Examples include:
Combining Strattera and caffeine could raise your risk of experiencing these side effects or make the side effects worse.
Because of this, your doctor may recommend that you limit your caffeine intake during your Strattera treatment. Talk with your doctor to learn more.
You don’t need to completely avoid any specific foods while taking Strattera. But you should not take your doses with high fat meals. In addition, your doctor may recommend avoiding alcohol and limiting caffeine during your Strattera treatment (if you usually consume these substances).
If you have additional questions about taking Strattera with certain foods or beverages, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.